Valve structure



lMarch 7, 1939. v J. sl-:DLON ET A1. 2,149,367

VALVE STRUCTURE Filed April 17,- 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l HUT g l DD/ U /53 l 1z0/4 E E 1517 d- ATTORNEY S March 7, 1939. v, .1. sEDLoN ET' AL VALVE STRUCTURE Filed April 17, 19:57`

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .rllP

ATToRNEYs Patented Mar. 7, 1939 PATENT OFFICE VALVE STRUCTURE Vincent Joseph Sedlon and Edward W. Perie, Cleveland, Ohio Application April 17, 1937, Serial No. 137,568

4 Claims.

This invention relates'to improvements in valve structures adapted to control the ow of hot f or cold water` or a mixture of hot and Coldwater. `One of the rprincipal objects of the invention is to vprovide a compact easily operated valve unit of simple construction whereby the operator can obtain a supply of hot water, cold water or any Vdesired admixture or volume of hot and cold water by means of a single control element. it' Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as the description is considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 isa plan View partly in section of 35 the improved valve unit showing the hot and cold water valves in closed position;

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section similar to that seen in Figure 1 but showing the cold water valve partially open and hot water valve closed;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

vFigure 5 is a section' similar to that seen in Figure 3, but showing the hot water Valve partially open and the cold water valve closed;

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

, Figure 7 is a sectional view similar to that of 30 Figure 3, but showing both hot and cold water valves open;

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8,-8 of Figure '7, and n f Figure 9 isa section through hood showin 35 locking pin for gear.

Referring more particularly to the drawings I denotes a casing'or tting the interior of which constitutes a mixing chamber 2. Hot and cold `water is delivered to the chamber 2 through leads 4U or pipes 3 and 4 respectively. These inlets are removably attached to the wall 5 `of a kitchen or other rroom in which the device is mounted, by

means of supply connections or coupling members 6 and I whichin turn connect with hot and cold *5 water supply pipes, not shown. An outlet opening 8, centrally disposed in the bottom Wall 9 of the mixing chamber with respect to the hot and cold Water inlets, places thek mixing chamber 2`in communication with a swiveled spout I0,

1U through which hot or cold water or a mixture of hot and cold water is delivered.

The front wall II of the mixing chamber is formed with two tubular interiorly threaded extensions I2 and I3 in which valves I4 and I5,

kiii are threadedly mounted for axial adjustment toward and away from valve seats I6 and I1 aligned therewith. The stems I8 and I9 of these valves which are formed with enlargements 43 and 43 for this purpose, project outwardly or forwardly through stufng boxes 20 and 2I and 5 have gears 22 and 23 slidably keyed to their respective outer ends. A hood or casing 24 suitably secured to the outer wall II of the mixing chamber 2 and enclosing the valve stems, is formed with recesses 25 and 26 in its outer end 10 wall 2'I for rotatably receiving sleeves or extensions 28 and 29 formed on the respective gears 22 and 23, Threaded pins 60 and 6I having spherical ends for engagement in grooves 62 and 63 respectively hold the gears 22 and 23 against 15 axial displacement. When valve I4 engages its valve seat I6, communication between the hot water lead 3 and the mixing chamber 2 is cut off and when valve I5 is seated on Vseat I'I the ow of cold Water from lead 4 to the mixing chamber 20 is cut off, and of course when these valves are closed there will be no flow from the mixing chamber vto and through spout I0.

Actuation of the hot and cold water valves I4 and I5, is eiected by means of an axially and 25 rotatably movable control member 30 comprising a stem.3I having a reduced inner end 32 seated in a bearing recess 33, formed in -a cross portion 53, extending between the front and rear walls of the mixing chamber. The outer end of the 30 stem extends forwardly through an opening 34 in the hood or casing 24 and is provided with a handle 54. The stem 3| is also formed with a plurality of peripheral grooves 35, preferably three in number, for cooperation with a latch 35 member 45 comprising a ball bearing 36 and an expansion spring 31. An adjustment screw 38 retains the ball bearing 36 and spring 31 within a recess 3 9, formed in the front Wall of the hood 24, and regulates the tension with which the 40 bearing is forced into the grooves.

Fixed to the control stem 3| adjacent the innermost groove 35 is a gear 4Il which is adapted for selective engagement with either or both of the gears 22 and 23 for the respective hot and 45 cold water valves I4 and I5. In this connection it will be noted that although the stems I8, I9 and 3| are in the same horizontal plane, the hot water valve gear 22 is outwardly offset or staggered with respect to the gear 23, so that the 50 gear 40 when in its innermost of Figure 1 position meshes with the gear 23 and is entirely out of mesh with the gear 22. In this position the latch seats in the outermost peripheral groove 35 and prevents accidental displacement. Rota- 55 tion of the control element 30 in an anti-clockwise direction imparts clockwise rotary movement to cold water valve I thus causing the valve stem I9 to move outwardly through the sleeve extension 29 on the gear 23. The distance between the outer end of the stem and the front wall of the hood 24 is sufficient to permit of the valve I5 being fully opened, that is moved from Figure 1 to Figure 3 position.

Instead of openingy the cold water valve, or after having opened the same in` the manner just described, the operator can readily open the hot water valve by axially shifting the control stem 3l outwardly to Figure 5 position or until the ball bearing 36 snaps into the innermost groove 35. Anti-clockwise rotation of the control member will now cause the hot water valve to rotate in a clockwise direction to open or partly open position, according to the extent the control member is rotated.- Any desired mixture of hot and cold Water can be delivered to the spout IG by merely shifting the control member axially to cause its gear to engage either of the gears 22 or 23 to permit of the appropriate valve being actuated toward or away from its seat. It will of course be understood that keys 4I and 42 lock the hot and cold water valves and their respective gears against relative rotary movement while permitting free relative axial movement therebetween.

Ihe control member 3D has a third or intermediate position, shown in Figure 7 in which the control gear 40 meshes with both gears 22 and 23, and the ball bearing 36 engages the middle or intermediate groove 35. When in this position, rotation of the control member simultaneously opens or closes or partly opens or closes the valves I4 and I5, according to whether the control member is rotated in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction. Thev flow of hot and cold mixture can thus be regulated to any desired volume.

When the control member 3U is moved axially say from its innermost to intermediate and thence outermost position, the ball bearing 36 rides out of one groove 35 into another with an audible click, thus apprising the operator of the exact position of the control. The ball bearing 36 seats on the upper end of the Aexpansion spring 31, and while serving to resiliently latch the control member against axial movement does not interfere with the free rotary movement of the control member.

What We claim is:

1. A device of the character described cornprising a mixing' chamber having a pair of inlet openings and an outlet opening, threaded valve ymembers for said inlet openings, stems for said valves, a gear for each of said valves, a hood, the stems of said valves being slidably but nonrotatably keyed in said gears, and a single axially movable rotatable control member journaled in said hood having a gear adapted for individually engaging either of said gears or simultaneous engagement with said rst mentioned gears for actuating said valves to individually or simultaneously open or close their respective inlet openings.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a mixing chamber having a pair of inlet openings and a discharge opening, valves controlling the inlet openings .and each having a threaded connection for moving the same to and from the respective opening, a valve stem carried by each valve, a gear slidably keyed on each stem and said gears being arranged in staggered relation, an operating stem arranged between the gears and longitudinally movable, and a gear carried by said stem and so arranged that it can be brought into engagement with either of the valve gears or both of said gears for drawing either hot or cold water or a proper portion of each.

3. A device vof the character described, comprising a mixing chamber having a pair of inlet openings and a discharge opening, valves controlling the inlet openings and each having a threaded connection for moving the same to and from the respective opening, a valve stem carried by each valve, a gear slidably keyed on each stem and said gears being' arranged in staggered relation, an operating stem arranged between the gears and longitudinally movable, and a gear carried by said stem and so arranged that it can be brought into engagement with either of the valve gears or both of said gears for drawing either hot or cold Water or a proper proportion of each and spring means for holding said valve stem in any of its three positions.

4. A device of the character described comprising a` mixing chamber having a pair of inlet openings and a discharge opening, valves controlling the inlet openings and each having a threaded connection for moving the same to and from the respective opening, a valve stem carried by each valve and extending beyond the chamber, a hood carried by the chamber and surrounding the valve stems, a gear rotatably supported in the hood opposite each stem and in which the stem slidably operates but is held against rotation. a stern rotatably and longitudinally mounted in said hood intermediate the gears, a gear rigidly carried by said stern and adapted to be brought into engagement with either of the valve gears individually or both si- Y multaneously and means in the hood engaging said stem, for holding the same in any of its three positions.

VINCENT JOSEPH SEDLON. EDWARD W. PIERIE. 

